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Survival rates for nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancers, by stage

Doctors often use survival rates as a standard way of discussing a person’s prognosis (outlook). Some patients with cancer may want to know the survival statistics for people in similar situations, while others may not find the numbers helpful, or may even not want to know them. If you do not want to know the survival statistics for nasal and paranasal sinus cancers, stop reading here and skip to the next section.

The rates below are based on the stage of the cancer when it is firstdiagnosed. When looking at survival rates, it’s important to understand that the stage of a cancer does not change over time, even if the cancer progresses. A cancer that comes back or spreads is still referred to by the stage it was given when it was first found and diagnosed, but more information is added to explain the current extent of the cancer. (And of course, the treatment plan is adjusted based on the change in cancer status.)

The 5-year survival rate refers to the percentage of patients who live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed. Of course, many of these people live much longer than 5 years.

Five-year relative survival rates, such as the numbers below, assume that some people will die of other causes and compare the observed survival with that expected for people without the cancer. This is a better way to describe the impact on survival for a particular type and stage of cancer.

To get 5-year survival rates, doctors have to look at people who were treated at least 5 years ago. Improvements in treatment since then may result in a more favorable outlook for people now being diagnosed with these cancers.

The following statistics were published in 2010 in the 7th edition of the AJCC Staging Manual. They come from the National Cancer Data Base and are based on nasal and paranasal sinus cancers diagnosed between 1998 and 1999. They include people with all types of nasal and paranasal sinus cancers.

Stage

5-year relative
survival rate

I

63%

II

61%

III

50%

IV

35%

Survival rates are often based on previous outcomes of large numbers of people who had the disease, but they cannot predict what will happen in any particular person’s case. Many other factors may affect a person’s outlook, such as their general state of health, the exact type and location of the cancer, the treatment received, and how well the cancer responds to treatment. Your doctor can tell you how the numbers above may apply to the aspects of your particular situation.